I am a whistler and I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange
tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows
yes I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak tonight transcribe
it's the whistler strange story the lovely look it began quietly matter of
fact Charles Belden would have found it difficult to trace it back to the exact
moment when he began to feel as he did toward the girl certainly it wasn't love
at first sight somehow he could still tell himself that he was beyond that
sort of thing that is a respectable married man and the competent manager of
the London importing firm founded by his wife father he'd accomplished a certain
reputation but he did remember the first time they met some of the words they
spoke the way she looked at it it was a Sunday morning and out near the front
gate the fog parted momentarily drew back like a soft gray curtain and there
she was. She came walking up the road hesitated as you discovered one another
silently and then. Hello I'm sorry but I've been walking forever it seems I
wonder if you could direct me I'm trying to find the Bellman resident. Well I'm
Charles Belden Oh Mr Belden of course you don't know me but I came in response to
the ad regarding a housekeeper. Or you didn't write Mrs Belden talk to her
on the telephone no no I thought it was best to meet her talk to her in person
yes yes well along I believe she's back from the morning stroll in a daily ritual
with her you know. Here I'll take your suitcase you're very kind Mr Belden.
Not at all. It's strange isn't it Charles the effect of that brief moment of
silence when you first caught sight of her and a few minutes later you find
yourself oddly interested in the outcome of Helen's questioning the interview with
Laurie man Laurie Edgeley I read of your need in the courier I know I should have
thought of references but if you have no one else in mind we haven't had we have
no however I'd appreciate a few days trial Mr Belden. Very well we'll try it
for me Oh thank you ma'am and you Mr Belden.
The way she looked at you that's it isn't the child.
Gloria's gentle lovely look it lingers in your mind fading in and out of focus as
you think about it consider it mean somehow it's more than a grateful
glance child you're certain of it and it remains with you all through the days
that follow through the dull hours at the office and then one night as you arrive
home. What is it.
We've got to get rid of her Laurie vision she said it's like
a housekeeper she's excellent. And I don't understand it happened early this
afternoon old child that upset me so this is what it's all about the day of that
busy body and discuss the election at the club you know I'm running for the
presidency and I'm counting on her to talk like all right. What happened but
now he did not have
a do I finally had to do it myself is that all I Helen the girl simply hasn't
caught on to the routine of things isn't that I'm trying to tell you I spoke to
her and this is what's gone. She asked if she did everything else to our satisfaction
would we mind if she didn't answer the door or take telephone calls. What
naturally I demand an explanation well did you give one it isn't that it's not
for me to tell you what she told you oh why I'll tell you something about coming
out here to get away from someone. A man he's in love with her she professes to be
terrified of him so that he threatened to kill her you don't believe her. Now.
Charles is not at all a mom but maybe we are here alone with her. I never
understand you you're careless of me thoughtless disinterested in everything
even my father's company Helen no you're going to talk to that girl. Oh I'm sorry
I know it's all right not a. I'm going to bed. Good night good night Mrs
Bellin. I'm not
a yes Mr Bellin. We've just been talking and yes and she.
This is better than tell me how. How well you did you work today. It's all right
Lolly I'll get that you don't have to answer the phones of the front door ever
and you're going to be all right. Right here Oh thank you Mr Bellin thank you very
much. In
just a minute the whistler will continue tonight's story all of us are proud of
our hometowns and rightly so in this brief moment before we continue with our
program we'd like to offer a salute to one of our hometowns in America New York
City hometown to more people than any other in the world. Its history is pretty
well known how it was supposedly bought for twenty four dollars worth of
trinkets from the Indians how it started under the Dutch went to the British and
passed to the young United States after the Revolutionary War. It was our
national capital for five years and George Washington was inaugurated there
today it's not only the biggest but probably the busiest and noisiest place
in the world. Much of its growth and prosperity is due to New York Harbor the
port clears more than five thousand vessels a year and ships almost half of
the entire trade of the United States but New York City is many things to many
people it's not just San Francisco multiplied by 10 or Chicago multiplied by
three it's Wall Street and Harlem the Statue of Liberty in Greenwich Village
it's Broadway otherwise known as the main stem or the Great White Way more
theaters are crowded in that area than any place in the world. It's the Empire
State Building the world's color structure it's a parade up Fifth Avenue
and a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers it's
the Metropolitan Opera and Madison Square Garden it's Rockefeller Center
occupying 12 acres and 15 buildings and it's the headquarters of the United
Nations it's the native New Yorker who never moves off his block and the
immigrant who came from halfway around the world it's the George Washington
Bridge on the Holland Tunnel and Grant's Tomb and when you've said all this you've
still only scraped the surface of what New York is like what it's all about but
one thing is for sure the people of New York are proud of their hometown and
proud of the part it has played in the building of America and now back to the
Whistler
you couldn't dismiss her could you child temporarily you win Helen over to your
way of thinking and Laurie stay but week after week the contest between you and
Helen is renewed and her patience reaching the breaking point but it
doesn't seem to matter doesn't because you know that Laurie understand and all
the time the strange unspoken bond between you is increased as she attends
to your every wish hangs on every word you say you wonder how long it will go
on where it will leave then the answer finally comes in a phone call to your
office.
Yes Helen.
Child I want you to drop around the employment agency sometime today and see
about another housekeeper another. Tell me what you mean what's the matter with
my kind of thing longer I won't have my around another minute I I've just got.
What I'm just not satisfied with this arrangement at all I'm telling you how
I don't care to discuss it any further not have either time I'm doing the club
and have an hour the election you know and will you listen to me now I've made
up my mind I told my she can take just one more week and that's all.
For a moment you sit there stunned then slowly replace the receiver and as you
sit back trying to think it out you realize Laurie is everything to your
child and just as she is trying to tell you with every action every look you
suddenly feel the urge to tell her.
An hour later you're racing across the English countryside and you're
going to. Know I'm a very good racing across the English countryside the rain
driving against you with the cars were perilously along the narrow road finally
you swing into the driveway. Hurry up the steps. Then into the house.
Lottery. Lottery then you hear it the movement of the kitchen. Hurry down the
hall. That's right. Thunder drowns your voice here.
The cross the kitchen. Oh. I'm sorry I didn't mean to start.
No no it's quite all right it was silly of me. Well I always think it might be him
I know. What are you doing.
I'm going to tell him about it. Listen to me. You can't go away you must.
Know she's quick tempered she's a lot of things you don't really.
I can't let you go. I suppose I could say until you've got someone that isn't what
I mean. It's that I. Know I'm having this one. I don't. You see.
I have never really. Been. In.
Please Mr government you must talk that way I had to let you know how I felt and
one time free well I don't expect an answer right away but I hope you want to
think about it. I think. I think I've got to go now Mr.
government. You want to hurry as you hurry about somehow you feel confident that
you'll want you to find a way to be free a way to rid yourself of Helen but that
isn't going to be easy and a divorce would leave you. The importing this the
house everything belongs to Helen later in the library you're so engrossed with
your thoughts you don't hear the car in the driveway the sound of the front door
and then. What. Oh.
Well I thought this was going to be an old baby it was going to be yes I.
Was. Going home at this time of day. Oh.
I could have saved it early but back from. I should have told you Laurie always go
to the village on the day off you know what you mean I know why you came here
darling you thought I'd be gone all day you came back to see Laurie didn't you
Laurie oh I had that's ridiculous is Helen you just can't be serious.
You take me for a complete fool I've noticed that we've watched. You can look on
your face moving about like
a schoolboy really Helen you're imagining things I see I tell you I'm going to
tell you. Do you think for one moment she'd be interested in you Helen but you're
not just so peridot dog so unromantic Helen I feel sorry for you you get over it
Laurie's gone you'll go back to your old rose garden pipe collection and you'll
still have me won't you darling. Where you going.
Oh. You
wonder why you didn't kill it yeah well Helen dead you'd be free to marry Laurie
wouldn't you suddenly the answer to your problem becomes quite clear you stopped
your car in the village and entered
a tobacco shop. Good morning Matthew like it's clear another bit I have a store we
had last night. What's going on over at the constable's office I noticed quite a
few people over here but it's not the way it comes to some of the man down from
the clips. Tourist chap staying over at the end decided he'd take a bit of a
stroll early this morning losses put him in like you think when he wasn't killed I
see what would it be Mr Bowden. Well the same as usual Matthew small team.
Well yeah I can check that one drop some fifteen twenty three down to a leg he did
he was lucky all right. The other film you know this is building still take a walk
along the kids every morning. Yes. Yes. She does and that
a warner that the dangerous in this kind of weather never can tell what might
happen you know. You're quite right. You. Never can tell.
That's it isn't
a child accident on the cliff and you are free everyone knows of Helen's daily walk
there. Late that evening when you return to the house Helen is already retired you
hurry to find law. As you step into the half dark and library you feel standing
with a window staring out into the garden you approach within a few feet of.
Lawry. Don't turn around. Don't don't say anything. Just listen to me. I found
a way away to be free of Helen but first I've got to know how you feel. I've got
to know if you want me to go ahead with it now listen to my. Very important. You
will not be implicated. You don't have to answer me. You don't have to say a thing
or a. Unless. Unless you want to stop me. Lawry. Shall I. I go ahead with it.
All right darling. I'll do it.
It. Oh good morning Tom morning my dear my
higher up right and early rather as I. We haven't had breakfast together in a day
and I wanted to catch you before you left the house. You are going for
a walk this morning I thought I would remain a stop. But why do you want Helen
I'm. It might sound odd to you. Early in our marriage we used to go to walks
together it seemed that we were able to talk out so many things. That's true I
was wondering couldn't I walk along with you now this morning we'll walk along the
cliffs like we did before. How did my. And how yes I'm glad that you thought of
this good. I think it will settle a lot of things Helen. For both of us.
I.
Don't be half right use you stop a for example how many of our United States
president were former lawyers eleven no that's only half right brush up on your
American history tell your I.D. officer you want to study with the United States
Armed Forces Institute you stop a it's easy it's simple if you don't want to be
half right use you stop a and now back to the whistler.
And. It's
all over now isn't it. Walk along the cliff with Helen was the last one you'll
ever have to take. And as you turn away from the.
The fog moves in around and you hurry back along the path toward the house you're
anxious to see Laura again talk to. Gain the reassurance that we go for you every
time she looks. As magic in those moments isn't that child and enchantment and
beauty that cannot be denied and after the weeks of waiting you settled it fine
and Laurie need never leave the house it will now be yours.
Laurie. Oh there you are.
Oh it's something wrong no no no Laurie it's over. Exactly as I said over it'll
seem like an accident I'm sure of it it happened to someone from the hotel in the
village they'll think it was the same with Helen your wife I don't understand
Laurie Helen's dead now if they come around just tell them we missed her this
morning thought she'd gone for a walk. You. Know. No no don't come here me don't
touch me.
You turn her away you take a few steps after then stop it's the shock isn't it
child you can feel it yourself now the realization of what you've done but you
will be all right and so will. You wonder if you should go on to the office and
give her time to think. Then suddenly you hear the sound of Helen's car from the
drive and rushed to the window. And Laurie. Driving toward the village.
Racing after her your own car a dozen thoughts found in your mind as you wonder
what you've done wrong perhaps it was the way you told her that. The cold shot and
then you see Helen car parked at the curb you stop. And realize too late that you
have followed Laurie right to the constable's office where he is talking to
her. And then as you turn to hurry away. Try to get back on that car if I were you
or what. What's the matter comes to. You.
Want to hear tell me you can your wife. She told you yes yes now but she was in
on it herself. She knew I was going to do it I told her she didn't stop me no no
no that's not true. Last night in the library you were standing by the window
looking out into the car. Last night what I didn't even see you but you heard me
Laurie. You must know just a moment there is more if there she didn't see you she
couldn't have heard you. What don't you understand that's why I couldn't answer
the doorbell or the telephone that's why I made up that story of the man who was
supposed to be threatening me then didn't ever you ever notice the way Laurie
looked at you. Yes. A lovely look. Good reason for that look you see Lordy can't
hear when she looked at you like that she's reading your lip.
Now a question do you know the significance of the oak leaf worn by the
Navy's commanders and lieutenant commanders in the early days of the Navy
since all ships were constructed of wood a wood had to be selected which would be
durable and long lasting capable of sailing through any kind of weather. Thus
the wood of the sturdy oak tree was selected later when insignia were
selected for the officers of the Navy the oak leaf was chosen for commanders
and lieutenant commanders as a symbol of their capability and strength of
leadership. This is but one of many interesting facts which can be found in
the history of your United States Navy.
Oh.
It's an internet transcribed story were bill Foreman as the Whistler John Dana
Lareen Puddle Mary Lou Harrington Eric Snowden and Dick Ryan the Whistler
directed by Gordon T Hughes with music by Wilbur Hatch is produced by Joel
Malone and transmitted overseas by the Armed Forces radio service tonight's
Whistler was based on the story by Mary Ruth. The Whistler was entirely fictional
and all characters portrayed on the Whistler are also fictional any
similarities of names or resemblances to persons living or dead is purely
coincidental. This is George Wall speaking and reminding you to listen
again next week for another strange tale by the Whistler.